PORTLAND, Maine — The number of annual deaths in Maine has eclipsed the number of births for the first time in recent history, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and economists in the state fear the trend will shrink the work force and make doing business here more and more expensive.

The arrival of what’s known as a natural population decrease in Maine doesn’t come as a complete surprise for a state with the oldest and whitest population — two demographic groups that statistically bear the fewest children — of any in the nation.

But Maine is crossing that threshold sooner than economists expected, and the pattern may accelerate what many believe will be a labor crisis in the state. As its glut of baby boomers retire and die, fewer Mainers are born and grow up to replace them in the workplace.

During an event commemorating World Day Against Child Labor, acting Secretary Harris stressed the role of education in the lives of 66 million girls worldwide who don't attend school. "Educating girls is a matter of basic decency and critical to shared prosperity in an interconnected global economy," said Harris during the June 12 event in Washington, D.C. A panel discussion featured Ambassador of Nepal to the U.S. Dr. Shankar Sharma; Holly Gordon, executive director of 10 x 10: Educate Girls, Change the World; Laura Bermudez of World Vision; and Carol Pier, acting deputy undersecretary of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. There also was a screening of a portion of the new documentary "Girl Rising," which tells the stories of girls from nine countries and the power of education to change lives. In her remarks, Pier underscored the department's longstanding commitment to combat child labor. She told an audience of more than 200 that "the department has been a tireless champion of protecting the most vulnerable, including child laborers." Gordon, the film's executive producer, provided insight into the creative process of putting a human face on the barriers girls encounter in getting an education. During the panel discussion led by Pier, participants discussed effective strategies to improve the lives of children, and the significance of hearing the "voices of the adolescent girls" interviewed in the film. You can see the film "Girl Rising" when it premieres on CNN at 9 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 16.

We need your help. Last night, the Maine Senate voted on a bill, LD 443, to strengthen the Workers Compensation system for injured workers in Maine. They passed it along party lines, with Democrats supporting the bill and Republicans opposing it. Now, the bill is going the the Maine House for a vote. If your senator voted for the bill, it would be great to thank them.

Last year, Governor LePage and his legislative allies passed a bill that was a windfall for the insurance industry – gutting Workers' Comp and leaving injured workers out in the cold.

Workers' Compensation was created as a compromise where workers give up their ability to sue employers in exchange for speedy medical care and wage replacement when injured. LD 443 takes a modest step to make sure that workers' part of that deal is upheld.

SBA and the W20 Group, a cluster of digital communications companies, will present Identifying and Connecting with Your Influencers, the fourth topic in the five-topic social media webinar series on June 5 at 1 p.m. EDT. The webinar will help small business owners learn how to engage with people who can influence their online reputation and gain value through social media tools.

Topics that will be covered include:

Understanding the importance of influencers;

Finding the right tools and methodologies to identify your influencers;

NOTE: The maximum threshold for this webinar is 1,000 participants. If you’re unable to participate, a link to the webinar will be furnished at a later date. A captioned version of this webinar will be available in two weeks at:www.sba.gov/social-media.

Let them know that at the very least we demand a repeal of the LePage tax cuts that are set to disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

Use this simple form to look up your legislators and send them a short personal message letting them know your bottom line. It just takes 30 seconds.

It’s time to stop making working people pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. It’s time to stop the cuts to local towns and state workers, the property tax increases and the slashing of programs like Apprenticeship, Head Start and Drugs for the Elderly.

Have you marked your calendar? I hope you'll be joining us for the 2013 Labor Summer Institute. The Summer Institute is a 2-day solidarity school for union members focused on building our skills and building our movement. This year's Summer Institute is on August 7th and 8th at the University of Maine in Orono. You can register today by clicking here. Please designate at least one member from your local to attend!

This year our Labor Summer Institute will be anchored in two important areas of our work: organizing newunion members and the Maine Health Care is a Human Right Campaign.

We are excited to announce this year's Keynote Speaker for the Labor Summer Institute will be Bill Fletcher, Jr.

Join us and hear from Bill Fletcher, Jr., author of "They're Bankrupting Us!": And 20 Other Myths about Unions.Fletcher, Jr. is a long-time racial-justice, labor, and international activist, scholar, and author. He has been involved in the labor movement for decades, and is a widely known speaker and writer in print and on radio, television, and the Web. He has served in leadership positions with many prominent union and labor organizations, including the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union. Fletcher is currently the director of field services for the American Federation of Government Employees.